Tori Kelly – From star to star

From star to star

Victoria Loren Kelly is a songstress that goes by the stage name “Tori Kelly.” The American 21 year old Youtube phenomenon gained her fame by covering Thinking about you, a massive hit by Frank Ocean The video went viral and accumulated 19 million views to date. When I heard her cover I was extremely surprised that Simon Cowell had said that he didn’t like the tone of her voice and said No on season 9 of American Idol. Her success story had been filled with more downs than ups, entering many talent shows and leaving empty handed on various occasions. She did win America’s most talented kids in 2004 and signed her first US record deal aged 12 definitely indicating signs of potential.

I find Tori’s story quite inspirational and the importance of not taking ‘no’ for an answer. After many rejections she faced the tough decision to either to give in to her reality or believe in her dream and eventually took matters into her own hands. Last year I was honored and truly humbled to see her perform live at Bush Hall in London. She was a dream! Bringing a magnetic performance that the crowd instantly latched on to creating an awesome vibe and sang every song word for word, but it was fair to say that Tori’s voice was far better than the guy not far from me. There I was thinking she was just another here today gone tomorrow, US Pop sensation, when she sung her single Dear no one, she could have just played the chords and the crowd would have done the rest. That’s how much of an effect her music has on people. Her voice is quite angelic and she never seems to struggle to hit notes even F#6 whistle note.

In interviews she seems quite humble, grounded and a soft spoken individual. In an interview with SheKnows Tori revealed that, “One of her biggest moments so far was when she opened for Ed Sheeran at Madison Square Garden.Since this momentous event in her career she has now been in the studio with Pharrell and has a song with Ed Sheeran coming out this year that she is keeping her lips sealed about.”

I for one am a fan of the beautiful Tori Kelly and her music. Her music is real, sweet and touching and it does help that she is just stunning. And as many a romanticised songwriter Tori sing’s about matters of the heart and I wait with bated breath until her long awaited album is released sometime this year. She looks certain to be a household name by the end of the year. Tori Kelly, remember the name.